Despite Prime Minister Oli's announcement of resignation, the protest demonstrations in Nepal have not subsided. As of late on the 9th local time, both the Nepalese Parliament and the Supreme Court buildings were set on fire. Foreign media reports indicated that the military began deploying in Kathmandu that night.

Will the protests and demonstrations in Nepal escalate further? Why did the government's decision to ban social media trigger such a sudden resistance? What contradictions in Nepal's social and economic development do street protests reveal? Observers.com connected with Fani Dara Nepal, founder of the Greater Nepal Nationalist Front organization, who provided a written response to related issues. The following is the compiled text.

【Text by Fani Dara Nepal, compiled by Guo Han, Observer.com】

Observer.com: Facing large-scale demonstrations and riots across the country, (former) Prime Minister Oli described the violent protests as "caused by certain forces' infiltration." What specific forces do you think he refers to?

Fani Dara Nepal: After the government announced the ban on 26 social media platforms, the entire Nepalese civil society raised strong opposition. Various sectors continuously proposed suggestions and exerted pressure for easing the restrictions, but the Nepalese government remained unmoved. This suddenly made Oli's government extremely unpopular. When the Nepalese government linked the social media ban to "national dignity," the younger generation became the most intense opponents. They declared on September 7 that they would hold anti-government protests on September 8 and called on people to gather and participate.

As a result, on September 8, unexpectedly, a large number of Generation Z (Gen Z, in the English and American context generally refers to those born between 1997 and 2012, who are proficient in using the internet and social media, note). Young people gathered in the main square of Kathmandu, chanted anti-government slogans, and tried to storm the parliament building. By the evening of the 8th, there had been 19 deaths in Kathmandu and the surrounding valley.

Prime Minister Oli of Nepal has announced his resignation as of local time on the 9th

According to the latest information, in addition to the 19 deaths caused by the violent demonstration on September 8, 422 injured people are currently receiving treatment in hospitals inside and outside the Kathmandu Valley.

Regarding this, Prime Minister Oli responded that the reason for the escalation of violent protests was because of "unpopular forces' infiltration," forcing the police to open fire. Security officials also reported similar situations to the government. However, he did not specify who these forces were. It is worth noting that the protesters' statements also mentioned the issue of "infiltration." Some people accused members of the two major opposition parties of intervening and infiltrating into the protest activities.

Although this protest is essentially a domestic event, it cannot be ruled out that international forces may be secretly pushing it forward. It can be expected that the United States and India will try their best to exert influence. The security agencies of Nepal need to remain highly vigilant.

Observer.com: New Delhi Television (NDTV) attributes it to the policy of banning 26 social media platforms and applications, while Reuters calls it a "Generation Z protest." Why did this administrative order suddenly provoke such a strong reaction from the public in Nepal?

Fani Dara Nepal: Since the successful student protests in Bangladesh last year, some have speculated that similar resistance might occur in Nepal. However, in Nepal, almost everyone is connected to a political party, and it was generally believed that such protests would not happen. However, the Nepalese people have long been extremely dissatisfied with the serious corruption among party leaders.

The move by Oli's government to ban 26 social media platforms and applications immediately triggered strong resentment. Nepalese people have long been accustomed to using these social platforms, so they found this ban difficult to accept, viewing it as a serious "undemocratic" act, and firmly resisting it. This became the main cause of the outbreak of the protests.

NDTV's analysis is very close to the facts. There is no mistake in Reuters calling it a "Generation Z protest." Because this movement initially targeted the social media ban, but after the police shot nearly twenty people, it quickly transformed into an anti-corruption protest. Over time, the issue of the social media ban gradually became secondary, and anti-corruption and holding leaders accountable became the core demands of the protests.

Soldiers of the Nepalese army stationed outside the government building in Kathmandu, screenshot from video

Observer.com: Some media comments analyze that the behavior of upper-level politicians and power figures' children showcasing wealth online (called "Nepo Kids") is a key factor causing strong public dissatisfaction and intensifying the conflict. How much role does the issue of wealth disparity play in triggering this protest?

Fani Dara Nepal: In this protest movement, the list of issues raised by Gen Z youth also includes "Nepo Kids." At the beginning of the protest, this was indeed the top focus. Because the children of Nepalese politicians often study abroad with generous scholarships, live in luxurious hotels, and purchase expensive luxury goods, such as high-priced jewelry and clothing, etc. They often show off on social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, and boast about being "A-grade citizens," which caused a huge impact on ordinary young people in Nepal.

Ordinary young people were furious at the lifestyle of these privileged children obtained through corruption. Therefore, the act of politicians' children showcasing their huge wealth on social media was like adding fuel to the fire of the protest. As the protest evolved into violent conflicts, these politicians' children are now hiding everywhere out of fear of being targeted.

Especially infuriating to the young people is that Nepalese politicians privately buy and resell overseas scholarship quotas provided by foreign embassies, which further intensified people's anger. In short, the extremely wide gap in lifestyle between the children of the Nepalese elite and ordinary young people has become unbearable for the latter, so the Gen Z youth express their accumulated anger by participating in this protest.

Observer.com: Please analyze the reasons for Prime Minister Oli's resignation. From the government's announcement of lifting the social media ban to the prime minister's resignation, will this lead to a gradual cooling down of the protest situation, or will it continue to spread?

Fani Dara Nepal: Overall, the possibility of the situation deteriorating is much greater than the possibility of it improving.

Prime Minister Oli was forced to resign mainly because he could not withstand the fierce protests of the Gen Z and the widespread public outrage caused by the death of 19 people. Additionally, the conflict between Oli and former President Bidya Bhandari led to a split within the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist), weakening his control within the party; internal struggles within the ruling coalition further forced him to resign.

There are already signs that the situation may continue to deteriorate. Protesters have demanded the establishment of a "citizen government." In this turbulent situation, if unknown forces intervene, the situation may become even more tense. If the protesters keep making new demands as seen in the protests in Bangladesh, the situation may become extremely explosive.

It is still uncertain whether the new government will be formed through the established political procedures or whether the Gen Z youth will push for the establishment of the "citizen government" they refer to. Regardless of the outcome, this violent protest once again pushed Nepalese politics into turmoil.

Observer.com: We know that India has a profound influence on the situation in Nepal. What is India's attitude this time?

Fani Dara Nepal: Recently, Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar has publicly stated that India is closely monitoring the situation in Nepal, which shows India's strong interest in the developments. India will certainly do its utmost to expand its influence in Nepal. This time, if Nepal cannot avoid falling under India's control, the Nepalese people will eventually realize that this is actually handing over the country's independence to India.

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